Disabled doctor marched off EasyJet plane at 'gunpoint' after he complained he wasn't given seat with extra legroom despite paying extra
EasyJet airlines kicked a doctor out of its flight for allegedly being "violent and aggressive" during an argument over legroom in the aircraft.
72-year-old doctor Sam Ramsay Smith was treated for a rare condition in Amsterdam that made it very difficult for him to walk. Being aware of his condition, Smith had paid the airline an extra $35 for a seat with more legroom for his return flight to Gatwick from Amsterdam.
However, when he got onboard the craft, he found that his seat, 1E, had been taken by another passenger.
When he complained to the cabin crew about his seat, the father-of-three, who requires a pair of walking sticks to hobble around, was ordered off the flight. The captain allegedly told Smith: "I don't like your attitude. You have to get off the plane," reported the Sun.
Soon three counter-terrorism policemen, armed to the teeth with sub-machine guns, boarded the plane and demanded Smith leave with them. "One said to me 'are you going to resist?' I replied 'do I look as though I am capable?" Smith told Sun.
But EasyJet claims the doctor could not be given the seat he had booked for as he changed his flight last minute. They said he was ordered off the flight because he was "abusive" to the crew. "After changing Dr Ramsay Smith's flight at his request we were unable to assign him the same seat he had selected on his original flight," the airline said.
"During boarding, he was verbally abusive to the crew over being unable to sit in this seat. The captain tried to resolve the issue by offering two other alternative seats which he rejected. At this point, he physically assaulted the cabin manager and police were called to escort him off the aircraft. The safety of our passengers and crew is always EasyJet's highest priority and we cannot tolerate abusive or threatening behavior towards our crew."
According to Daily Mail, Smith worked as a senior NHS surgeon for 10 years at Victoria Hospital in Lewes, West Sussex.
Now, after his retirement, he spends most of his time in Spain. He was visiting Amsterdam to get help from his colleagues to treat his rare condition.
Smith suffered from erythromelalgia after being stung by a bee a year ago. The disease is known to cause inflamed legs and feet among other sclerosis-like symptoms.
Calling his treatment by EasyJet "despicable", the doctor insisted that despite the airline's claims, he had booked the specific seat for the same flight he was kicked out of. "I only pushed the flight attendant when she stood on my foot, I was in agony," he said. "I told the captain his mother would not be proud of him... but I don't think I was abusive."